Holder for open books

ABSTRACT

A holder for an open book of the paperback type has a pair of spaced leaf edge contact components that are interconnected by an expandable connecting component adapted for insertion between pages of the held book. The leaf edge contact components feature bendable portions that are equipped with a detent that overlies portions of one of the open pages and one of the contact components has a tab that overlies a portion of the other open page. Page guiding edges are provided on the detents and provisions are made for preventing withdrawal of the interconnecting component during use of the device.

United States Patent rown [54] HOLDER FOR OPEN BOOKS Alexander M. Brown,715 South Beach Street 309-D, Daytona Beach, Fla. 32014 [22] Filed: Dec.28, 1970 [21] Appl.N0.: 101,578

[72] Inventor:

[ 51 May 9,1972

2,692,780 10/1954 Billings ..281/42 Primary ExaminerWilliam H. SchultzAttorney-Roger L. Martin ABSTRACT A holder for an open book of thepaperback type has a pair of spaced leaf edge contact components thatare interconnected by an expandable connecting component adapted forinsertion between pages of the held book. The leaf edge contactcomponents feature bendable portions that are equipped with a detentthat overlies portions of one of the open pages and one of the contactcomponents has a tab that overlies a portion of the other open page.Page guiding edges are provided on the detents and provisions are madefor preventing withdrawal of the interconnecting component during use ofthe device.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMM 9 I972 sum 2 0P2 FIG] ALEXANDER MBROWN 1 noumn son QPEN BOOKS This invention relates to a book holder andmore particularly to a holder that is designed to retain the book in anopen condition.

So-called pocket-size or paperback books have a cover leaf which in mostinstances is glued to the bound leaves along the binding edge of thebook. This inexpensive arrangement for attaching the cover leaf to thebound leaves provides astiffening structure along the binding edge whichconstantly resists to people afflicted with arthritis or some othercondition that leaves the hands in a weakened condition.

Many different types of devices have been advocated as a solution to theproblem and among those which have been advocated are the so-called cliptype devices which must be removed from the book as each page is turnedand thereafter relocated to properly hold the book in its open conditionat the new page selection. This, of course, is time consuming to thereader and to those with weakened hand conditions, it means that thereis a need for exerting considerable effort each time a page is turnedduring the reading of the book. Prior art attempts have also been madeto provide book holders which avoid the need for removing or adjustingcomponents as each page is turned. These prior art attempts however,have been less than satisfactory because the structures involved are socomplicated in most instances as to render their manufactureeconomically impractical for the consuming public. In many instances,the holding devices can be used with conventionally bound books but failto carry out their intended function when applied to paperback editions.This is frequently attributed to the fact that such devices are onlyequipped with components that engage the open pages at one end of thebinding edge. This type of arrangement has been found unsatisfactorywith paperback editions of such books because the lack of support at theother end of the binding edge permits the pages to curl under theinfluence of the type binding arrangement employed in the manufacture ofsuch editions.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved holderfor.open books. Another object of the invention is to provide animproved open book holder which. permits the reader to turn the pageswithout the need for major adjustments in the location of the componentsof the holder. Another object of the invention is to provide an openbook holder which is inexpensive to manufacture and which will serve itsintended purpose when used with so-called paperback book editions.Another object is to provide a simple, inexpensive book holder which canbe conveniently used and manipulated by people suffering from the lackof adequate strength in their fingers to hold paperback book editions inan open condition for prolonged periods of time. Still another object ofthe invention is to provide a book holder for paperback editions andwhich is capable of use with books that vary from one to the next intheir dimension along the binding edge.

In accord with the invention, the book holder is equipped with a pair ofleaf edge contact components which are interconnected by a componentwhich is insertable between the pages of the open book. The leaf edgecontact components are arranged in the holder to bear against the boundleaf edges at the opposite ends of the binding edge of the open book andeach leaf edge contact component has a resiliently deformable portionthat is provided with a detent that normally overlies and contacts amarginal portion of one of the open pages of the open book. Provisionsare also made in the structure of the holder for one of the leaf edgecontact components to have a tab which overlies and contacts a marginalportion of the other of the open pages and the detents and tab are allarranged to overlie marginal portions that are laterally offset from thebinding edge of the book. The holder is also equipped with elements ormeans that engage the book along its binding edge when the book is heldin its open condition and these elements or means prevent withdrawal ofthe interconnecting component from between the pagesunderlying the openpages and hence, serve to retain the holder in a proper position. Oneaspect of the invention deals with the provision of an interconnectingcomponent which is extendible to permit a greater space relation to berealized between the leaf edge contact components. This arrangementpermits the holder to be employed with different books that havedifferent dimensions along the binding-edge and in a preferredarrangement the interconnecting component includes cross ribs ofresiliently deformable material that permits the desired relativemovement of the contact component to accommodate use of the holder withbooks of various dimensions. Yet another aspect of the invention has todo with the provision of certain wedge shape members in the structure ofthe interconnecting component and which serve to. prevent dislodgment ofthe elements that engage-the binding edge and prevent withdrawal of theinterconnecting components from between the pages. Yet another aspect ofthe invention has to do with the structure of the detent and which, ineffect, provides an inclined edge that aids the reader in guiding thepages to a position underlying the detents as the pages are turnedduring the reading process.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of thisinvention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Theinvention, itself, however, both as to its organization and method ofoperation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, maybest be understood by reference to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the inventionas seen when attached to an open book, the iigurealso depicting inbroken lines the position of the page at the left hand side of thebinding edge of the book at an interval during the process of beingturned by the reader;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, with partsbroken away;

FIG. 3 is a section in elevation along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, withparts broken away;

FIG. 4 is a section in elevation along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2, withparts broken away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section along the lines 5-5 of FIG. I, with partsbroken away;

FIG. 6 is a plan view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5, with partsbroken away; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the holder as seen when detached fromthe book, certain additional positions for certain parts of the holderbeing shown in broken lines.

Reference is now made to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 7and wherein the book holder is generally designated at 10. It includes apair of leaf edge contact components that are respectively designated at11 and 12 and an interconnecting component that is designated at 13.Components 11 and 12 are held in spaced relation by the connectingcomponent 13 and are designed to engage and bear against the upper andlower leaf edges 14 and 15 at the opposite ends 16 and 17 of the bindingedge 18 of the book 19, shown in FIG. 1 in its open position. Thecontact components 11 and 12 are generally elongated structural memberswhich are arranged transversely of the binding edge 18 when the holderis carrying out its intended function and the connector or connectingcomponent 13 under such circumstances, has an inserted position betweenpages such as 20 and 21 that underlie the open page, such as 22, at oneside of the binding edge 18.

The upper leaf edge contact component 11 in the embodiment illustratedhas a rigid portion 23 which is arranged to engage and contact portionsof the upper leaf edges 14 that are at the right side of the bindingedge 18, as the book is seen in FIG. I. The lower leaf edge contactcomponent also has a rigid portion 24. This portion is similarlyarranged so that it contacts and engages portions of the lower leafedges at the right side of the binding edge.

The connecting component 13 is a generally elongated structure which isgenerally flat so as to accommodate its insertion between pages thatunderlie the open page 22 at the right side of the open book and in theembodiment illustrated, has a cross ribbed section 25 and flatplate-like sections 26 and 27 that are integrally joined to the rigidportions 23 and 24 of components 11 and 12 at the opposite ends 28 and29 of the connecting component 13. The holder is preferably molded inone piece from suitable resiliently deformable plastic material andportions 23 and 24 are more or less rigid and resist bending because ofthe integral connection with the end sections 26 and 27 of component 13.

The ribs 30, on the other hand, are so joined at their oposite ends andintermediate such ends as to be capable of slight bending when forcesare exerted on the components 11 and 12 to increase the spacetherebetween. The rib section 25 accordingly permits the elongatedconnecting component 13 to be extended so as to permit expansion of thespace between the contact components 11 and 12 and when this happensthey undergo slight deformation, as seen by the broken line position forthe deformed ribs designated at 31 in FIG. 7, when the spacing betweencomponents 11 and 12 is increased to that illustrated by reference tothe broken line position 32 for component 11.

To prevent the connecting component 13 from being withdrawn from betweenthe pages and 21 when the holder is in use, each of the leaf edgecontact components is provided with an inwardly directedprotuberance-type element that is arranged to engage the open book alongits binding edge when the holder is in place. These elements, designatedat 33 and 34, engage the book at the opposite ends 16 and 17 of thebinding edge 18 and cooperate to limit movement of the holder as in thedirection of arrow 35 and which would otherwise cause withdrawal ofcomponent 13 from between the pages 20 and 21. To maintain the elements33 and 34 in engagement with the book along the binding edge when theholder is in position, the opposite end sections 26 and 27 of theconnecting component 13 are equipped with wedge shape members,designated at 36 and 37. Members 36 and 37 bear against the inside ofthe binding between pages 20 and 21 when the holder is in place and aregenerally located in their lower plane than that of the elements 33 and34 so that the elements are retained in the arched area defined by theglued portion 38 of the cover leaf 39 of the book when the latter is inthe open condition shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The lower leaf edge contact component 12 has a tab which is integrallyjoined to the rigid portion 24 thereof and tab 40 is so located in theholder arrangement as to overlie and contact a marginal portion 41 ofthe open page 22 which is laterally offset from the binding edge of thebook. The tab is so arranged as to avoid obscuring any of the printedmatter on the open page 22 and is sufiiciently offset from the bindingedge to exert a leverage action countering that which tends to close thebook.

It will be noted that the upper leaf edge component 11 lacks a tabcomparable to that provided in the structure of the lower leaf edgecomponent. This arrangement enables the reader, when turning pages, tosimply manipulate the page 22 from the upper right hand corner of theopen book as seen in FIG. 1 and to withdraw the page from and under tab40 and thus turn the page in the normal manner.

To exert a leverage action on the left side of the binding edge, each ofthe leaf edge contact components 11 and 12 is provided with aresiliently deformable portion that is equipped with a detent thatoverlies and contacts the other open page 42 at the left side of thebinding edge. The resiliently deformable portion of contact component 11is designated at 43 whereas the comparable structure for the lower leafedge contact component 12 is designated at 44. Portions 43 and 44 arebendable in the general plane of the open book, as illustrated byreference to portion 43 of contact component 11, and each is equippedwith a bent end extremity that provides a detent that is normallyarranged to overlie and contact a marginal portion of the open page 42.These detents are designated at 45 and 46 respectively and they normallyoverlie marginal portions 47 and 48 of the open page 42 and which arealso laterally offset from the binding edge 18 of book 19. The fact thatportions 43 and 44 are bendable aids the reader in positioning theholder on the open book and permits deflection of the detent in thegeneral plane of the open book from its normal position, such as thatindicated at 49 for detent 45, to another position designated at 50 inFIG. 6 and at which the detent 45 is offset from the edge 51 of page 42.

The deformable portions 43 and 44 may be bent in a manner indicated inFIG. 6 when the holder is initially placed in the book to carry out itsintended function and may also be bent to accommodate reception of aturned page beneath the detents 45 and 46. In the normal course ofevents however, the bending of the portions 43 and 44 is unnecessary foreach detent is equipped with an edge that inclines upwardly andoutwardly from the page. These edges are designated at 52 and 53respectively and as the page is turned, the edges 52 and 53 serve toguide the upper and lower edges of the page, as illustrated by thebroken line position for page 42 in FIG. 1, to a position at which bysimple finger manipulation of the page, it can be inserted to a positionunderlying the respective detents 45 and 46 without the need for bendingthe deformable portions 43 and 44. Thus, as illustrated by the brokenline position for page 42 as it was being turned by the reader, theupper edge 51 rides down the guide edge 53 of detent 45 while the loweredge 54 rides down the guiding edge 53 of detent 46. This causes thepage to curl, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and thereafter the user can bysimply exerting a little thumb pressure on the page in front of thedetent can slide the edge under the respective detents so that the pageassumes that position on the left hand side of the binding edge seen inFIG. 1.

From the foregoing it is evident that the book holder described hereincan be used by people who lack strength in their fingers and hands tohold paperback volumes and that the need for manipulating components ofthe holder can be avoided as the pages are turned by the user. Theholder is also such as to be easily manufactured by conventional moldingprocedures that provide a one piece structure in which the variouscomponents are integrally joined without the need for excessive laborfor assembly purposes.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has beenshown and described by way of illustration, many modifications willoccur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that itbe understood that it is intended herein to cover all such modificationsas fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. A holder for an open book comprising a pair of leaf edge contactcomponents which are spaced apart and arranged to extend transversely ofand at the respective opposite ends of the binding edge of the openbook, and a connecting component which extends between and interconnectssaid contact components; each of said leaf edge contact componentsincluding a resiliently deformable portion which has a detent that isarranged to normally overlie and contact a marginal portion of one ofthe open pages of the open book and which is bendable to permitdeflection of the detent in the general plane of the open book from itsnormal position to another position that is offset from the edge of apage contacted at its normal position, the marginal portion beinglaterally offset from the binding edge of the open book; one of saidleaf edge contact components having a tab that is arranged to overlieand contact a marginal portion of the other of the open pages and whichis laterally offset from the binding edge of the open book; saidconnecting component being arranged for insertion between pagesunderlying the other of the open pages of the open book, and each ofsaid edge contact components having means arranged to engage the openbook along its binding edge and to cooperate with the means of the otherof said contact components in limiting withdrawal movement of saidconnecting component from between the pages underlying the other of theopen pages of an open book held by the holder.

2. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where said componentis extendible to permit expansion of the space between said contactcomponents.

3. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where saidconnecting component maintains said contact comonents in spaced relationand includes cross ribs that are integrally joined and resilientlydeformable to permit extension of the component and relative movement ofthe contact components interconnected thereby.

4. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where saidconnecting component has opposite ends and includes a pair of wedgemembers which are located at the respective opposite ends of saidconnecting component for maintaining the cooperating means in engagementwith and along the binding edge of an open book held by the holder.

5. A holder for an open book in accord with claim l where each of saidcontact components has a rigid portion, where said connecting componenthas opposite ends which are integrally joined to the respective rigidportions of said contact components, and where said tab is integrallyjoined to the rigid portion of said one of said components.

6. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 5 where saidconnecting component maintains said contact com-' ponents in spacedrelation and includes cross ribs that are integrally joined andresiliently deformable to permitextension of the connecting componentand relative movement of the contact components interconnected thereby,and where said connecting component further includes a pair of wedgemembers which are located at the respective opposite ends of saidconnecting component for maintaining the cooperating means in engagementwith and along the binding edge of an open book held by the holder.

7. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where said detenthas a page guiding edge arranged to incline upwardly and outwardly froman underlying open page contacted thereby.

i I t 10' t

1. A holder for an open book comprising a pair of leaf edge contactcomponents which are spaced apart and arranged to extend transversely ofand at the respective opposite ends of the binding edge of the openbook, and a connecting component which extends between and interconnectssaid contact components; each of said leaf edge contact componentsincluding a resiliently deformable portion which has a detent that isarranged to normally overlie and contact a marginal portion of one ofthe open pages of the open book and which is bendable to permitdeflection of the detent in the general plane of the open book from itsnormal position to another position that is offset from the edge of apage contacted at its normal position, the marginal portion beinglaterally offset from the binding edge of the open book; one of saidleaf edge contact components having a tab that is arranged to overlieand contact a marginal portion of the other of the open pages and whichis laterally offset from the binding edge of the open book; saidconnecting component being arranged for insertion between pagesunderlying the other of the open pages of the open book, and each ofsaid edge contact components having means arranged to engage the openbook along its binding edge and to cooperate with the means of the otherof said contact components in limiting withdrawal movement of saidconnecting component from between the pages underlying the other of theopen pages of an open book held by the holder.
 2. A holder for an openbook in accord with claim 1 where said component is extendible to permitexpansion of the space between said contact components.
 3. A holder foran open book in accord with claim 1 where said connecting componentmaintains said contact components in spaced relation and includes crossribs that are integrally joined and resiliently deformable to permitextension of the component and relative movement of the contactcomponents interconnected thereby.
 4. A holder for an open book inaccord with claim 1 where said connecting component has opposite endsand includes a pair of wedge members which are located at the respectiveopposite ends of said connecting component for maintaining thecooperating means in engagement with and along the binding edge of anopen book held by the holder.
 5. A holder for an open book in accordwith claim 1 where each of said contact components has a rigid portion,where said connecting component has opposite ends which are integrallyjoined to the respective rigid portions of said contact components, andwhere said tab is integrally joined to the rigid portion of said one ofsaid components.
 6. A holder for an open book in accord with claim 5where said connecting component maintains said contact components inspaced relation and includes cross ribs that are integrally joined andresiliently deformable to permit extension of the connecting componentand relative movement of the contact components interconnected thereby,and where said connecting component further includes a pair of wedgemembers which are located at the respective opposite ends of saidconnecting component for maintaining the cooperating means in engagementwith And along the binding edge of an open book held by the holder.
 7. Aholder for an open book in accord with claim 1 where said detent has apage guiding edge arranged to incline upwardly and outwardly from anunderlying open page contacted thereby.